Derrick Rose ‘Most Likely’ Won’t Return During the Playoffs

All season long, the Chicago Bulls have clung to the possibility that Derrick Rose would return and rescue their season. With the Playoffs now underway, they’re starting to admit that it’s unlikely Rose will suit up and play anytime prior to next season. Per the Chicago Sun-Times: “With the announcement made by coach Tom Thibodeau on Saturday that Derrick Rose would ‘most likely’ be out for the rest of the playoffs, still not over the mental hump of reaching that comfort level with his surgically-repaired left knee, came more negative sentiment from a fan base that has grown tired of the waiting game. The Bulls players felt it on Sunday, as did their coach in Tom Thibodeau. ‘Don’t judge character by an injury,’ small forward Luol Deng warned. [...] Thibodeau was asked if even he was starting to get bothered by the way in which is star point guard was being judged, especially with more and more questions about Rose’s heart thrown out on talk shows and in social media, and chose his words carefully. ‘It’s not bothersome because I know all that he’s putting into it and I know who he is,’ Thibodeau said. ‘I know his character and he’s done amazing things for our organization, and he’s doing all he can. That’s all you can ever ask a guy to do, so there’s always going to be some negativity, but I think the vast majority of it is very positive.’ [...] ‘Because as [Bulls team doctor] Dr. Cole said from Day 1, it was going to be eight months to a year,’ Thibodeau said. ‘Okay, so, you hope for the best, you plan for the worst. The thing is, we don’t want him out there until he’s completely comfortable and he’s not comfortable yet, so that’s part of what we expected. ‘As long as he continues to work the way he has, I’m good with it. I know how important he is and not just him. This would apply to any other guy. If a guy gets injured like that, you have to be patient.’”